the education they deserve and all our workers the skills that they need to compete in a global economy. we must jump start industries that create jobs. and end our dependence on foreign oil. we must unleash the innovation that allows new products to roll off our assembly lines. and nurture the ideas that spring from our entrepreneurs. this will be difficult. but in the days to come, it must be our central mission as a people. and my central responsibility as president. part of that responsibility is making sure that we honor our commitments to those who have served our country with such valor. as long as i am president, we will maintain the finest fighting force that the world has ever known. and we will do whatever it takes to serve our veterans as well as they have served us. this is a sacred trust. that's why we've already played one of the largest increases for veterans in decades. we're treating the signature

wounds of today's wars. posttraumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. while providing the health care and benefits that all of our veterans have earned. and we're funding a post-9/11 g.i. bill that helps our veterans and their families pursue the dream of a college education. just as the g.i. bill helped those who fought world war ii, including my grandfather, become the backbone of our middle class, so today's service men and women must have the chance to apply their gifts to expand the american economy. as part of ending a war responsibly is standing by those who have fought it. two weeks ago, america's final combat brigade in iraq, the army's 4th stryker brigade, journeyed home in the predawn darkness. thousands of soldiers and hundreds of vehicles made the trip from baghdad. the last of them passing into kuwait in the early morning

hours. over seven years before, american troops and coalition partners had fought their way across similar highways. but this time no shots were fired. it was just a convoy of brave americans. making their way home. of course, the soldiers left much behind. some were teenagers when the war began. many had served multiple tours of duty. far from families who bore a heroic version of their own. and endure the absence of a husband's embrace or a mother's case. most painfully, since the war began, 55 members of the 4th stryker brigade made the ultimate sacrifice. part of over 4,400 americans who have given their lives in iraq. as one staff sergeant said, i know that to my brothers in arms who fought and died, this day would probably mean a lot.

those americans gave their lives for the values that have lived in the hearts of our people for over two centuries. along with nearly 1.5 million americans who have served in iraq. they fought in a far-away place for people they never knew. they stared into the darkest of human creations. war. and helped the iraqi people seek the light of peace. in an age without surrender ceremonies, we must earn victory through the success of our partners and the strength of our own nation. every american who serves joins an unbroken line of heroes that stretches from lexington to gettysburg. from hiroshima. from kasang to kandahar. americans who have fought to see that the lives of our children are better than our own.

our troops are the steel in our ship of state. and though our nation may be traveling through rough waters, they give us confidence that our course is true and beyond the predawn darkness better days lay ahead. thank you. may god bless you. and may god bless the united states of america and all who serve her. >> from the oval office, president obama. in simple words saying "the american combat mission in iraq has ended." "this is it, it is time to turn the page and put the responsibility for iraq primarily in the hands of the iraqis," george. >> that's right. he doesn't want his presidency defined by war. saying all american troops will be gone by the end of next year. reasserted that american troops will start to come out of afghanistan next summer. that's a hard commitment. and he said his central mission, fixing this economy.

>> and of course while praising the troops who have fought so long, so hard. we're going to return now to our regular programming. but they'll be much more analysis of this later on "nightline" tonight. you'll have more tomorrow morning on "good morning america" and you can always get the latest anytime at abcnews.com. for george stephanopoulos, and for dan harris, i'm diane sawyer in new york. for all of us at abc news, good night.

there is frightening moments in berkeley this morning. a mounltin lion ran through a residential neighborhood. the mountain lion was spotted on shatick avenue and police caught up with it on a driveway on walnut street. >> this is where the mountain lion was spotted.

the parking lot of the old elephant pharmacy. now, i should tell thu is first reported shortly after 2:00 in the morning. now, when police arrived they filed the animal running on cedar street, then spruce street. for those of you that know this area, you know the area is very congested and there are lot of restaurants and businesses here. we're told by police that it went into the playground of a church and then spotted on oxford street. soit was moving around. and then, ended up in the backyard of this house, on the 1600 block of walnut street. people were told by police to stay inside, police found the mountain lion in the backyard. they shot it twice, then, somehow, it made its way to the driveway of another house two doors down. it was finally shot and killed. a female mountain lion weighing about 90 pounds and i

can tell you neighbors heard those shots. >> and police officer said it's just a mountain lion, ma'am. but it's still going back inside where it's safe. i said, okay, thank you. >> the possibility a community member would step out of the house early to go to work. we have different life styles. they felt this mountain lion posed a significant public safety hazard. >> now, of course, a lot of you are probably asking tonight, and i know people in berkeley are, why did they have to kill this mountain lion? police said, say that the police officers here are not trained and they do not have tranquilizer guns. they were in contact with the fish and game department. and that department, regional office is all the way in

sacramento. >> thank you very much. and federal investigators spent the day at san francisco international airport trying to figure out why one engine on a four-engine 747 blew out on the way to australia last night. take a look at the hole the explosion left behind. passengers reported sieving flames and parks -- sparks coming from the engine. >> take a look at the thud. and just turned to my right. and i can see a stream of spots flying out. >> and i didn't panic. everybody is going to be in the same boat. >> pilots turned the flight around, flew 45 minutes back to sfo. the to 12 passengers were never in danger, we're told. 747s are able to fly on just two engines. >> authorities targeted one of california's most notorious and dangerous gangs today.

treated and released three dozen members were rounded up and arrested in. the gang operates out of pelican bay straight state president yochbl officials say gang leaders are able to call shots from inside prison walls using cell fobs to order hits out on the streets. >> alameda county district attorney filed charges against two men in the shooting of a fremont police officer and let a woman go. the 20-year-old was arrested saturday at the mexican border charged with attempted murder of officer todd young. young tried to serve an arrest warrant friday in oakland. he says has been charged with car jacking, shooting into vehicles, carrying a loaded concealed weapon and transporting marijuana. gustavo silva has been charged with accessory after the fact. a woman has been arrested on suspicion and no charges were filed. officer young underwent another surgery today, remaining in serious, but

stable condition. and officer young's wife, nicole sent out this thank you note to the community today saying in part i would like tochl press my gratitude for the outpouring of support from the community. it's heart warming to heart number of people donating blood in todd's name. thank you for your words of support, prayers and donation autos well, we still have a few minutes left this half hour, coming up nrts, -- nexexex

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you by mancini sleepworld tonight's warm weather for people who like it. >> it is sparkling. and it's going to get warmer. sandhya patel is here with the forecast. >> it's going to be a significant warm up heading into tomorrow. today we've seen warming. here are the current temperatures. 58 in half moon bay. towards inland areas and we have upper 08s, hot inland. and warm at the coast. much cooler weather, though, for labor day weekend. i want to show you computer animation, shallow fog layer clearing from north to south. by morning we're only expecting patches of fog along the coastline. that will evaporate quickly as well, temperatures mild, looking at low 50s to low 06s across the bay area there. is a mild start like that, and a down sloping wind developing temperatures going to sore. inland communities near triple digit mark was 98 in fairfield. 97 in livermore, san jose, 97.

7234 half moon bay. mid-90s for santa rosa and napa. 88 in santa cruz. up to 98 inlnld. here is the accu-weather forecast. tomorrow is a spare the air day. obvious reasons and we're expecting heat to peak on thursday with triple digits inland. low 70s at beaches. by friday, temperatures starting to fall just a few degrees but you don't see considerable cooling until heading towards sunday, monday time period. and there is labor day, low 80s inland. we're going to drop a good 30 degrees, upper 50s at beaches. back to you. >> thank you very much. thursday, pretty hot. >> that sounds like a lovely labor day weekend. 80s. not too hot at the coast. >> that is going to do it for us. world news is coming up next. i'm cheryl jennings. >> i'm dan ashley. i think that is an invitation whachl time do you want us over? world news is up next